BRUSSELS
\nThe top UN court\u2019s ruling that Israel\u2019s 57-year occupation of Palestinian land was \u201cillegal\u201d is \u201clargely consistent with EU positions\u201d, the bloc\u2019s foreign policy chief said on Saturday.
\nThe opinion on Friday by The Hague-based International Court of Justice \u2014 which called for the occupation to end as soon as possible \u2014 was immediately slammed as a \u201cdecision of lies\u201d by Israel.
\nBut the European Union\u2019s High Representative for Foreign Affairs said that the bloc had taken \u201cgood note\u201d of the court\u2019s ruling and urged further backing for the court\u2019s opinion.
\n\u201cIn a world of constant and increasing violations of international law, it is our moral duty to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to all ICJ decisions in a consistent manner, irrespective of the subject in question,\u201d Josep Borrell said.
\nHe added in a statement that the opinion \u201cwill need to be analysed more thoroughly, including in view of its implications for EU policy\u201d.
\nThe ICJ\u2019s ruling is not binding, but it comes amid mounting concern over the death toll and destruction in Israel\u2019s aggression against Hamas. Its intervention is likely to increase diplomatic pressure on Israel as will the EU\u2019s backing.
\nIn June 1967, Israel seized the then-Jordan-annexed West Bank and East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights
\nfrom Syria, and the Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula from Egypt in a crushing six-day war against its Arab neighbours.
\nIt then began to settle the 70,000 square kilometres of seized Arab territory.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BRUSSELS The top UN court\u2019s ruling that Israel\u2019s 57-year occupation of Palestinian land was \u201cillegal\u201d is \u201clargely consistent with EU positions\u201d, the bloc\u2019s foreign policy chief said on Saturday. The opinion on Friday by The Hague-based International Court of Justice \u2014 which called for the occupation to end as soon as possible \u2014 was immediately […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":387289,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-419765","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n